


Zero to Sixty

by Jersey_Jimmy



Series: Gunbuster GTS-R [1]
Category: Persona 5, Top o Nerae! Gunbuster
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Racing, Car Chases, Crossover, Gen, Street Racing, hard work and guts. mostly guts.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27893794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jersey_Jimmy/pseuds/Jersey_Jimmy
Summary: A chance encounter with an old friend from high school sets off a chain of events that ultimately lead Noriko Takaya right into the middle of Tokyo's street racing scene. She never intended to get involved, but it might turn out to be her best option.
Relationships: Amano Kazumi/Takaya Noriko
Series: Gunbuster GTS-R [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866115
Kudos: 5





	Zero to Sixty

Noriko’s father had always told her stories about street racers. Brave - or debatably stupid - souls who, behind the wheels of cars so souped-up they’d put certain exotics to shame, made the expressways of Tokyo their own personal playground. He’d never romanticized their exploits, as most of his tales ended with some sort of lesson about responsible driving... but after hearing so many of those stories, it would’ve been impossible for Noriko to _not_ have been curious.

Yet even in her wildest dreams, she never would’ve imagined she’d be sitting in the passenger seat of a Mazda RX-7 making somewhere north of 400 horsepower. And she _absolutely_ never would’ve imagined the driver of that car to be...

“...hey, Noriko, are you alright? Jeez, I didn’t know you were that fascinated by planes, too...”

The woman’s voice managed to snap Noriko out of her stupor, and she turned her gaze away from the terminals of Haneda Airport and towards one Kazumi Amano. “Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Noriko stammered with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, guess I kinda spaced out for a second there.”

Kazumi’s deep red lips curled into a small smirk. “Don’t worry, I understand... this is your first time going to a car meet at Daikoku, isn’t it? I get why you’d be anxious... I don’t really think you have anything to worry about, though.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s just a meetup... thanks, Kazumi.”

Indeed, by some bizarre twist of fate, the very same Kazumi Amano that Noriko had attended high school with just a couple years prior had since become one of the most feared racers in all of Tokyo. She’d gained the nickname of “The White Rose,” and even from a single glance one could see why; not only did she predominantly dress in white, but her RX-7 sported a glossy pearl white paint job, complimented by vinyls of gold thorns adorning the doors and fenders.

As Noriko’s view of the airport became one of a moonlit Tokyo Bay, she added, **“** Y’know, I never would’ve imagined you’d be the type to get into this sorta thing, honestly... where’d ya get the idea? Did you just luck into a fast car and decide to put it to good use, or...?”

For a moment, Kazumi was silent, which seemed like an immediate cause to start worrying. Oh god, what dark corner of someone’s past did she nonchalantly touch on _this_ time? And why did it have to be _hers?_

Then, Kazumi let out a quiet chuckle, proving Noriko’s fears unfounded. “Something along those lines... you’re a lot sharper than you look, you know?”

“And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

More laughter from Kazumi would follow... which is when it hit Noriko that during their high school days, Kazumi had _never_ been in as good a mood as she was right now. In fact, thinking back... she seemed _miserable_ most of the time, and it never occurred to her to ask why. It still didn’t seem like the time to ask, really; they’d only reconnected a couple weeks ago, and Noriko didn’t want to bring the mood down... but whatever it was, Kazumi seemed to be in much better spirits now.

The more she thought about it, the more intriguing the street racing scene was starting to become to Noriko.

As the RX-7 crossed over the Tsurumi Tsubasa Bridge, Noriko’s ears picked up a faint chorus of revving engines and booming speakers... and as they descended down the spiraling offramp, the Daikoku Parking Area came into full view. Hundreds of cars spanning every imaginable make and model Noriko could think of filled up nearly all of the parking spaces, and as high up as they were, she could still tell that some of the builds down there were _really_ impressive.

“...come to think of it, why the hell _haven’t_ I been here yet? Holy crap... w-wait, w-was that a McLaren P1?!”

“Who knows?” Kazumi replied in a teasing tone, pushing down a little harder on the gas as they neared the entrance. “Maybe it was just a 720S... or it could’ve been a Senna. Can’t be too sure this late at night~.”

However impressive the scene must’ve looked from the offramp was nothing compared to driving through it. As Kazumi slowly zigzagged through the lanes looking for a spot, Noriko began making a list of every car she hadn’t seen in years, if _ever,_ sitting right there in that parking lot. Dozens of Lamborghinis, an assortment of lowriders, menacing widebody kits fitted to everything from Supras to Nissan Leopards...

...besides the cars, Noriko also took note of their owners, many of whom seemed to recognize Kazumi’s RX-7 as it passed by. One who stood out was an unfriendly-looking redheaded woman, leaning against the hood of a similarly-colored BMW M3. A young man with spiky bleached hair stood proudly next to a Mitsubishi FTO... Noriko swore she remembered his face from school.

Another young man, this one sporting an outfit that would look right at home at a rave, shot Kazumi a nasty look as she drove past... one that she’d answer with a glare of her own. Again, Noriko figured it’d be best to save the questions for later.

Eventually, Kazumi would come across an empty space, sandwiched between an impressively-preserved Alpine A310 and a heavily-tuned, blue-and-pink Hyundai Tuscani. “Well, Noriko? A bit more interesting than the car meets you’re used to, isn’t it?”

Her inquiry would be met with amazed silence. As Kazumi shut off the RX-7’s engine, Noriko slowly stepped out of the car, taking a moment to soak in the scene.

She’d been around cars her entire life... not just any cars, either, but the Super GT and Formula Nippon race machines her father had piloted. Yet, Daikoku radiated a far different energy than her exceedingly-distant memories of the garages at tracks like Tsukuba or Motegi. It felt... _freer._ Sure, there were still cars that could obliterate all sorts of lap records, but they were mixed in with everything from VIP style luxury sedans to microvans loaded with more booming speakers and neon lights than the average Roppongi nightclub. It felt like anyone who wanted to be a part of it was welcome to.

“Um... Noriko? Hello? Y-you’re spacing out again...”

“R-right, sorry...! It’s just... I-I’ve never seen anythin' like this before, not in person at least... man, it’s incredible.” As Noriko spoke, her gaze fixated on a row of Dodges, among them a gunmetal gray Neon SRT-4. “Is it like this every night?”

Kazumi grinned. “More or less, I suppose... though you really never know what you’ll come across. It’s sort of like ripping open a pack of trading cards, except... a lot louder.”

Slowly but surely, a small crowd would begin to form around Kazumi and her RX-7. She answered questions about the inner workings of the car, seamlessly continued conversations from multiple nights prior... in the exact kind of situations where Noriko would be a nervous, stammering mess, the White Rose thrived. She’d be lying if she said she weren’t at least a _bit_ jealous.

Eventually, Noriko noticed, the bleach-blonde punk she’d seen earlier made his way over to Kazumi. She squinted, trying to remember just who he was... hadn’t they shared a class...?

“Yo, Amano, haven’t seen ya in a while!” he greeted, gesturing over towards the loudly-painted FTO he’d arrived in. “She turned out pretty sweet, don’tcha think? Ain’t lost a race since I started takin’ her out on the highway last week!”

“Nice to see you too, Sakamoto... seems like you’ve really stepped your game up. Well, provided you’re not bragging about beating stock cars again.”

“Yeah, it’s been- wait, what’s _that_ gotta do with anything?! A stock Evo V’s still an Evo V, y’know!”

Noriko mentally slapped herself... how the hell did she forget about Ryuji Sakamoto? Out of everyone in that school, he was one of maybe seven or eight people that actually stood out in a crowd... and considering the type of guy he was, it wasn’t all that surprising he’d taken up racing, either.

Seemed like he’d retained his hotheadedness, too. “Well, hey, if you’re still doubtin’ me, how about I show ya what this thing could do right now?” Ryuji proposed with a devious grin. “One-on-one, two hundred grand to the winner. How about it?”

“Sounds fun... how do you propose we do this, then? Back up the Wangan, onto the Kawasaki, down the Yokohane, then onto the Daikoku? First one onto the offramp wins?”

“Fine by me! Man, I’ve been waitin’ for a race like this!” Twirling the key to his FTO around his finger, Ryuji started off back towards his car... but after taking a couple steps, stopped himself and backed up. “Wait, hold up... Noriko, that you? Shit, haven’t seen you since we graduated... the hell brought you here? Thought you’d be gunning for a legit racing career like your dad by now.”

Noriko... tried her best to ignore the offhand mention of her father. “A-actually, speaking of pro drivers, I’ve been working at Koichiro Ohta’s shop... Kazumi came in for the first time a few weeks ago, we caught up, and, well... now I’m here. Honestly don’t know why I didn’t start coming sooner.” _Probably because you wrecked the only car you’ve ever had._

“So I’m guessin’ you’ve never seen Amano race before, ah?” Ryuji turned his attention back towards Kazumi, that troublemaking smirk right back on his face. “Yo, White Rose. How ‘bout you give Noriko here a good idea of what you’re made of and let her ride along?”

 _...is he serious?_ Noriko looked first at Ryuji, then towards Kazumi with a stunned expression. Was there any sort of chance she would...?

“...I’m open to it if you’re open to it,” she stated, reaching to open the passenger door of her RX-7.

Suffice to say, Noriko was stunned. “Y-you’re kidding... I mean, aren’t you worried I’d get hurt or something? You’re really that open to-”

“Noriko, calm down... if I weren’t as sure as I am that you’ll be fine, I wouldn’t even be entertaining the thought.”

Noriko just blinked. _Holy shit, this is really happening, isn’t it?_ Her eyes darted between Kazumi, the pleasantly surprised Ryuji, and the pearl white RX-7 itself... and after a moment of disbelief-induced hesitation, she stepped towards the opened door and climbed back into the passenger seat.

“Don’t disappoint her, _White Rose._ ” Kazumi scoffed as Ryuji returned to his FTO, his parting words leaving a mocking sting. She lowered herself into the RX-7’s driver’s seat, and after setting her sparkling gold stilettos to the side, fired up the twin-turbo rotary engine once more.

Noriko, meanwhile, still felt like she was daydreaming. “Uh, hey, Kazumi... just ‘cause I’m in the car with you, don’t feel like you’ve gotta take it easy, alright?”

“Oh, believe me, Noriko, taking it easy was _never_ the plan.” With that, Kazumi Amano - the White Rose herself - shifted into first gear and pulled out of the parking space, following Ryuji’s bright yellow FTO towards the onramp as an increasingly restless crowd began to grow around the two cars.

Noriko had always been curious about street racing. Now she was going to see what it was like up close and personal.

* * *

“Exhilarating” didn’t even _begin_ to describe it.

As the RX-7’s rotary engine screamed at upwards of 7,000 RPM, Kazumi and Noriko flew down the expressway at well over three times the speed limit. While she did occasionally glance out towards the road ahead, for the most part, Noriko’s focus was on Kazumi and Kazumi alone. She made weaving through a gauntlet of kei cars and minivans look like child’s play, and all of her shifts, if not perfect, were very close to it.

Yet, somehow, they still found themselves staring down the tail lights of Ryuji’s FTO.

“Have to admit, that thing’s a whole lot faster than I anticipated,” Kazumi grumbled as they approached the Yokohane Route onramp. “By the way, Noriko, hold on to something.”

Without questioning it, Noriko gripped the door handle tightly, which would immediately be followed by Kazumi sharply braking. They’d then follow the FTO around the sharp right towards the toll booths, civilian cars’ horns blaring as they crossed the other side of the street to get there.

“We’re... not waitin’ for those toll booths to let us pass, are we?”

“Oh, absolutely not.” Sure enough, Ryuji would effortlessly smash right through the toll gate, sending it flying over the RX-7 as they followed onto the onramp. _“_ Now, I’ll admit, I took that first onramp very sloppily... these are prime passing opportunities, you can’t let them go to waste.”

Following a long 180-degree turn too narrow to make any attempt to pass on, the real fun began. As the onramp widened to accommodate cars emerging from the tunnel, Kazumi took the inside line and carved right through the ensuing 270-degree spiral using the shoulder. This finally brought her side-by-side with Ryuji; the punk received a smug wink for his efforts as Kazumi, with nothing standing in her way, charged ahead into a commanding lead.

“Holy shit, that was incredible!” Noriko gushed as they merged onto the Yokohane. “My heart woulda been beatin’ out of my chest, but you made that look _so_ damn easy!”

While her eyes remained glued to the road (and rightfully so), Kazumi grinned. “Thanks, Noriko, I appreciate it... the race is only half-over, though. Not that I doubt myself, but it’s never wise to celebrate too early.”

“Y-yeah, guess you’ve got a point... by the way, something’s buggin’ me about Ryuji’s car.”

“What’s that? Is it those ridiculous-looking rims?”

“No, nothing about how it looks... well... sorta. You saw how he blasted right through that toll booth, right?” Noriko glanced down towards the side mirror, spotting Ryuji in hot pursuit. “I mean, you’d think the front bumper would’ve been wrecked, right? But... it looks just fine to me.”

Kazumi fell silent for a moment; again, she didn’t seem _upset_ with Noriko (thank the gods), but looked as if she were hoping that question wouldn’t be brought up.

“...the answer to that is something I don’t feel like you’d believe,” the White Rose finally responded. “Try not to worry too much about it.”

“...r-right. Whatever you say, Kazumi.” _Great, what the hell is she hiding from you **now?**_

From the Yokohane they would turn onto the final route the race covered, the Daikoku... and at this point, it appeared that Ryuji had little to no chance of catching up. Kazumi let out a sigh and visibly relaxed, still seamlessly slipping through traffic.

“Well, there’s another 200,000 yen,” she quipped nonchalantly, letting the RX-7 burn off its speed as it merged onto the offramp leading back towards the parking area; a glance up at the rear-view mirror showed the familiar, inexplicably unscathed front end of Ryuji’s FTO pulling up behind them. “I really do need to learn to stop judging front-wheel-drive cars... he put up a pretty impressive fight there, wouldn’t you say, Noriko?”

“Compared to you, absolutely... surprised he wasn’t still stranded on the Yokohane when ya hit the offramp!”

“Oh, you’re underestimating him... questionable aesthetic choices aside, Ryuji knows what he’s doing. _Anyone_ who’s been racing like we do for more than a few months knows what they’re doing... you have to if you don’t want to end up flat broke. Or... worse.”

Noriko tried her best to push those unpleasant implications to the side as they returned to the parking area, where a swarm of impressed onlookers surrounded the RX-7 as Kazumi returned it to its spot. Once she’d strapped her heels back on, her and Noriko stepped out as Ryuji emerged from his FTO... and Kazumi walked right up to him with nothing more than a knowing grin.

“...what, were you expectin’ me not to pay up? The hell do you take me for?” True to his word, Ryuji pulled a studded wallet out of his vest pocket and handed over Kazumi’s winnings without a fight.

“Thank you, Sakamoto.” Kazumi happily took the wad of bills and stashed them away in her blazer. “We really need to race again sometime... if you start that winning streak back up and get enough momentum, who knows what could happen?”

“Man, right now, I don’t know _how_ much momentum it’d take to actually beat you... I mean, shit, you’ve already beaten everyone else here at _least_ on-”

Ryuji cut himself short as he caught a glimpse of a black WRX with neon blue underglow heading for the exit. “...well, you’ve beaten _mostly_ everyone here,” he eventually finished.

“Yeah, and it took you a _whole_ lotta luck to get past me.” The redhead from earlier stepped forward, her arms crossed beneath her chest as she inserted herself between Kazumi and Ryuji. “You’re _really_ lucky that my engine overheated last week, Amano. Other than that, I _own_ you, _verstehen?_ ”

“...you’re really bitter, you know that, Soryu?” Considering her rival didn’t seem to have any intentions of backing up, Kazumi took a couple steps back herself. “Besides, isn’t it... _your_ fault that you never stopped to give your engine time to cool off?”

“T-that’s beside the point, the _point_ is that I’m still a _way_ better driver than you!”

As all this went on, Noriko could really only stand by and try to figure out what they were all talking about. If nothing else, she could gather that the redhead - Soryu, apparently, according to Kazumi - didn’t take losing all that well. Beyond that, though, she was totally lost.

And so, as Soryu began to unload on Ryuji for a series of perceived slights, Noriko tapped Kazumi on the shoulder. “Hey, Kazumi... this doesn’t really seem like any kinda business of mine, so I’m gonna go walk around and check everything out.”

“Actually, I’m kind of surprised it took you until now to do that... go ahead, I’ll call you when I’m ready to get back to Ohta’s.”

“Alright!” With that, Noriko set off into the vast sea of cars she’d been so mesmerized by upon her arrival. She’d stroll up and down the parking lot’s lanes, occasionally stopping to snap a picture or chat with a vehicle’s owner... after that race, it was a huge help in regards to coming back down to earth.

As she continued along, though, a strange feeling began to overcome her. It seemed that the further she went, the more she began to see people heading back to their cars and beginning to leave... the atmosphere remained lively, but she could decipher the sound vans’ booming speakers dwindling in number, while a faint, high-pitched noise began to worm its way into her ears.

Noriko turned back towards the entrance, and her stomach dropped. A mob of flashing red-and-blue lights confirmed just what that noise was - police sirens.

At least half a dozen cruisers had poured into the parking area, prompting nearly everyone there to make a break for their rides and scatter as quickly as possible. One man’s attempt to proclaim his innocence ended in him being slammed against the hood of his S2000, eliciting a gasp from Noriko.

The police showing up, though, wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was that the police showed up while she was across the parking lot from Kazumi and her RX-7. _Shit, shit, this is NOT good._

Without a second of hesitation, Noriko broke into a sprint, making a beeline for Kazumi. It wasn’t easy, considering the mixture of other people and cars scrambling in all directions - not to mention the condition of her legs - but somehow, it seemed like she was going to make it back.

“Hey! Kazumi, I’m back, I-I’m here! C’mon, let’s-”

The RX-7 was gone. She frantically looked around - yes, this _was_ the same parking space Kazumi had just pulled into a little while ago... but to Noriko’s horror, there wasn’t a single trace of the White Rose or her RX-7.

* * *

Losing the police was nothing more than a menial chore to her at this point. After a bit of hide-and-seek in the nearby shipyard, she’d gotten back onto the Bayshore Route and began making her way back towards Tokyo, trying her hardest to blend in with the regular traffic.

Still, Kazumi couldn’t help but feel that she was missing something. Had she left something back at the-

_“FUCK, NORIKO!”_

* * *

Noriko stood frozen as she attempted to come to terms with the situation. Not only had the police showed up, but the police showed up while she was across the parking lot from Kazumi. Not only had the police showed up while she was across the parking lot from Kazumi, but she’d ran all the way back only to find that Kazumi had left without her.

As the gathering gradually imploded around her, she was stranded.

“...g-guess the only thing I can do’s hide.”

If nothing else, she could at least try to get lost in the crowd; everyone else seemed to be running for their lives in every direction. Trying to look as inconspicuous as she could, Noriko instead elected to stroll towards the restrooms with her hands tucked away in her pockets.

_There’s no way this is gonna work. They’re gonna barge right into the restrooms. I know your options are limited right now, but think bigger than this, you idiot._

Just before she made it into the women’s room, Noriko stopped. Turning around, her eyes fixated on something she’d gotten a glimpse of through the chaos... the Neon SRT-4. The same exact SRT-4 she’d seen earlier, with that same exact gunmetal paint job.

The driver’s door had been left wide open.

Noriko’s eyes shifted left, then right. Nobody seemed to be watching her... so she jogged towards the car before anyone could notice, ducking behind the opened door once she made it. From there, her focus turned to the interior; it wasn’t easy to make out much of anything this late at night, even in a well-lit parking lot like this, but there was one thing Noriko did notice... a key. A key with a familiar ram’s head logo engraved into the head.

It was almost like it was taunting her.

Doubts began to sprout up in her mind. First, and most obviously, _who did this thing belong to?_ Second, was attempting to make a daring getaway - one she didn’t exactly have the most confidence in being able to pull off - _really_ worth getting herself on the police’s radar?

Noriko took the key with a trembling hand. _If I do this, there’s no goin’ back... but it’s not like I’ve got a choice._

In one fluid motion, she pulled herself into the driver’s seat, slid the key into the ignition, and fired up the Neon’s turbocharged four-cylinder. She’d already wasted enough time; she couldn’t afford to waste any more.

“Don’t screw this up, Noriko.”

Dozens of officers turned their attention to the Dodge as it roared to life, peeling out of the parking space and making a break for the exit. She took a sharp right, then after blasting past a row of semi trucks and RVs, an equally-sharp left onto the onramp. With nothing in her way, Noriko gunned it, carving around the ramp and onto the Wangan.

Unfortunately, while she’d gotten out of the parking area, a pair of cruisers had followed; looking into her mirror ( _was_ it hers?), she saw two Toyota Crown police cars gaining ground, their lights blaring at near-blinding levels. “Dammit... knew there was no way this’s gonna be _that_ easy.”

Now back on the Bayshore Route, Noriko threw caution to the wind as she began to pick up even more speed. The speedometer’s needle climbed higher and higher... 100, 110, 120 miles an hour... and as it did, the violent rattling of the Neon’s plastic interior grew louder and louder, which didn’t calm her pounding heart in the slightest. At no point during the race did she doubt Kazumi’s abilities... but now, at the wheel herself and with the cops on her tail? She was _terrified._

But... something about taking that Neon to its limit on the open road... as much as she feared losing control, it felt... _right._

Noriko managed to keep distance between herself and her pursuers as they dove into the first of two underwater tunnels, the deafening sirens and the Neon’s screaming exhaust note reverberating throughout. Very little traffic remained this late at night, and Noriko found herself able to maneuver past what there was effortlessly. Wasn’t much help for impeding the cops, though.

The ramp onto the Kawasaki Route was fast approaching; Noriko contemplated taking it for a second... but she didn’t want to make this any more difficult than it already was. Besides, at this point, she was confident enough that she’d be able to lose the police before getting to Akasaka... she just wanted to _go home._

With her decision made, she blazed past the exit and out of the first tunnel. In the section between the tunnels that followed, a semi suddenly moved to switch lanes without signaling; fortunately, Noriko reacted instantly and swooped out of harm’s way. While one cruiser followed closely behind, the other seemed to be taken by surprise and slammed onto the brakes. _One down, one to go._

Noriko continued onward into the second tunnel and immediately realized she’d made the wrong choice. Approximately half a mile ahead stood a police roadblock. It wasn’t just barriers, either; two more Crowns had parked themselves sideways in the middle of the road, blocking all three lanes.

At these speeds, turning around wasn’t an option; even if she did, turning back towards oncoming traffic was a risk she _absolutely_ didn’t want to take. Then again... if she stopped now, she’d likely end up rotting in prison for decades. _Hell, scratch that, they’d probably_ **_kill_ ** _me._

The only miniscule sliver of hope Noriko had was the gap between the two cruisers ahead. It wasn’t a large one by any means, but at least to her, it looked like she _might’ve_ been able to barely squeeze the Neon through... and at this point, she welcomed _any_ chance to get out of this situation with open arms.

And so, as the cruiser on her tail began to slow down, Noriko roared on ahead, gripping the trembling steering wheel as tight as she could. She focused, then hyper-focused on that gap as everything else - the piercing sirens, the rattling plastic, the likelihood of her death right then and there - all faded into the background.

As everything else faded away... time seemed to slow down. Naturally, it seemed to be all in her head at first, but... as Noriko drew closer and closer to the roadblock, she noticed the lights on the two cruisers ahead flashing _much_ slower than before. The Neon itself seemed like it had slowed down, as well... but Noriko’s combat boot was still firmly planted on the accelerator, and the speedometer needle was still hovering around 140.

She flashed back to what Kazumi had told her during the race. Something she didn’t think Noriko would believe... this had to have been that something.

And considering how Ryuji smashed through that toll booth without a scratch...

Noriko drew closer and closer to the roadblock up ahead, and as the distance between it and her shrunk down to mere hundreds of feet, it became clear that the Neon would not be able to thread the needle. Yet, with a blaze of determination burning in her eyes, Noriko refused to stop. _Not here, not now... I’m done running._

Barreling straight ahead, the front end of her car smashed into the two Crowns, hitting one in its rear fender and the other at the edge of its front bumper. A head-on collision like that would have (and probably _should_ have) killed her instantly in any other situation, but somehow, by the grace of whatever cosmic forces were behind this... she remained unscathed.

She could still feel resistance from the two cruisers ripple through the Neon and her body, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop her. Noriko had easily plowed through the roadblock, sending both police cars whirling before they ultimately slammed into the tunnel walls - and from what she could see, they hadn’t left a scratch on her car.

“Holy shit... Kazumi was right, there’s _no_ way I woulda believed her... but...”

The sight of flashing sirens in her rear-view cut Noriko off; the cruiser that had been trailing her had somehow managed to slip through the wreck. “God, won’t you just give up already? Guess I got no choice...”

Suddenly, Noriko pushed down on the brake, just enough to allow the Crown to overtake her before immediately speeding back up. As they exited the second tunnel and began to cut through Haneda Airport, Noriko zeroed in on the cop’s rear fender, and just like before, the world around her slowed to a crawl.

Seconds later, she shunted herself into the Crown’s fender; the Neon felt five times heavier than it should’ve, and considering how easily it sent the cruiser careening sideways across the expressway, it sure as hell wasn’t all in Noriko’s head.

As time returned to normal, Noriko watched the cruiser narrowly buzz a lone Mazda Demio before crashing into the opposite barrier, rolling once, and coming to a rest on its roof in the grass.

It took her a moment to register everything that had just happened. Not only did she _somehow_ manage to escape the police... but she’d taken out all of their cruisers in the process.

As she brought the Neon back down to somewhat-acceptable highway speeds, Noriko - hands still furiously gripping the steering wheel - wondered aloud, “How... how am I still _alive...?_ ”

Her heart nearly jumped clean out of her chest when her phone began ringing; after recovering from the shock, she pried a hand away from the wheel and dug into her leather jacket to retrieve it. It was Kazumi. _Nice timing._

With an exhausted sigh, Noriko brought the phone to her ear. “Hey, Kazumi.”

“Noriko... a-are you alright? Listen, I’m so, _so_ sorry I left you there, I-I panicked and forgot you weren’t with me, and...” Kazumi’s voice trailed off. “...hold on, are you... _driving_ right now?”

“I am, yeah... d-don’t worry, Kazumi, it’s fine... I, uh... figured it out myself.”

“...how the hell did you... look, just... come straight back to the shop, alright? We’ll talk it over there... right now I’m just relieved you’re still a free woman.”

Noriko let out a sheepish giggle. “Believe me, so am I... I’ll see ya in a bit, alright?”

“Right... see you soon.”

* * *

Never before had seeing the facade of Ohta Speedworks in the middle of Akasaka felt so much like finding an oasis in the desert.

Noriko circled around to the building’s rear in her newly-obtained Neon (it was hers for _now,_ at least), where one of the garage doors had been left open for her. As she entered the building, she noticed Kazumi sitting by her RX-7, anxiously tapping her foot - it was a state she couldn’t ever remember seeing her in.

Yet, as Noriko shut off the Neon’s engine and stepped out of the car, all of that nervous uncertainty seemed to wash right off of Kazumi’s face. The White Rose briskly crossed the garage and, once she’d reached Noriko... took both of her hands in her own.

In an instant, Noriko’s heart began to beat almost as quickly as it had during the pursuit - an _impressive_ achievement. “I, uh... I’m sorry I scared ya like that,” she apologized, her cheeks an ever-so-slight shade of pink. “Probably should’ve called you before I took off, huh?”

“You should’ve... but I suppose I can’t blame you. Really, it was my fault... I should be the one apologizing.”

As Kazumi released her grasp on Noriko’s still-trembling hands, she began circling the Neon, closely inspecting the bodywork. “No scratches? How’d you manage that?”

“Well... you remember what you told me earlier about how Ryuji got through that toll booth? I, uh, think I pulled off the same sorta thing.” Noriko paused for a moment; the shop _should’ve_ been a safe place, but she had to make absolutely sure.

Finally, she finished, “I just... used it on cop cars.”

Kazumi’s eyes shot wide open. Did she hear that right? She had to play that last sentence back a couple times in her head to make sure she hadn’t hallucinated it... no, she definitely heard that right.

“You’re kidding,” she finally stammered out, taking a second look at the Neon’s front bumper. No dents, no scratches... no damage whatsoever. “You... used Speedbreaker? You _can_ use Speedbreaker...?!”

“Is... that what that whole thing’s called?” returned Noriko, tilting her head. “If it is, then yeah, guess I did... actually, I was gonna ask you what the whole deal with it even is.”

“It’s...” Just as she began her explanation, Kazumi suddenly realized that... even she, after all this time, still didn’t know just what Speedbreaker was. “...it’s difficult to explain. I can’t tell you exactly _how_ it works... as far as all of us know, it’s completely supernatural... but it’s an ability that only a few drivers are capable of. What I don’t understand is how _you’re_ capable of using it.”

“And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Believe me, I’m not doubting your abilities at all, especially not after what you just pulled off. What I mean is... out of everyone else I know that’s capable of using Speedbreaker, none of them awakened to it until they’d been racing for months, even years. You’re an outlier... a big one.”

Noriko thought Kazumi had to have been pulling her leg, but nothing about her tone or expression supported that. “S-so... what’re you saying, then? You think I should start racing?”

“I think you’ve got the potential to be great at it, if nothing else.”

“Well, yeah, but what about the cops? You seriously don’t think they’ll come straight after me?”

“Actually, no, I don’t.” As Noriko cocked an eyebrow in bewilderment, Kazumi made her way towards the rear end of the Neon and gestured towards the license plate... or, at least, where a license plate should’ve been. “I get why you didn’t stop to check, but this thing doesn’t have any plates... without those, considering the SRT-4 was never sold here, the police don’t have much to go off of aside from ‘gray sedan.’ That could be anyone.”

“Then... if I wanted to get into racing... you’re tellin’ me I’m in the clear.”

“As long as you don’t go around wrecking more cop cars and drawing attention to yourself, I think you’re good to go. Personally, I’d be disappointed if you didn’t... plus, you _have_ a car now, don’t you?”

Noriko glanced towards the Neon, the very same one she’d inexplicably piloted up the Wangan like a seasoned veteran. Kazumi was right (as she tended to be), it _was_ hers now... the keys being left on a silver platter for her couldn’t have been an accident. She had the car and the talent... it was entirely up to her.

And if Kazumi Amano - the White Rose herself - believed in her, who was she to argue?

With a confident smile, Noriko crossed her arms and turned back towards Kazumi. “Alright, I’m in... if you think I’ve got it in me, then I’m sure as hell gonna try.”

**Author's Note:**

> man, I really need to stop disappearing for months at a time, huh.
> 
> anyway! after some thought I eventually decided it'd be best to write GTS-R in more-or-less chronological order, albeit still as a series of oneshots. it's a crossover AU of a relatively obscure anime, so it'd probably be best to have some continuity.


End file.
